Whitening and cleaning composition.



ALICE A. GILSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA WHITENING AND CLEANING COMPOSITION.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, ALICE A. GILSON, a citizen of the United States, residingat San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Whitening and Cleaning Com ositions, of which the following is a speci cation.

One of the disadvantages in the use of white shoes, such as made of buck or canvas; and also in the use of white hats, such asv made of Panama straw, is the difliculty in keeping them white and clean. Manypreparations have been provided for the pur pose, most of which are of a liquid form and, in use, serve practically as a wash to cover the dirt on the surface of these arti cles. They are also undesirable in use because of the deleterious effect upon the materials of which the articles are made, and, further, because of the readiness with which the substance rubs off on the slightest contact with other material.

The object of my said invention is to provide a preparation of a dry character, which can be readily applied with a brush and will serve to both scour the surface of the articles and free said articles of the accumulated soil or dirt, and at the same time give the surface 'a natural as well as a white and clean appearance, and also impart a tone of life to the material itself, of which the articles are made, all as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the preparation of this composition, I take four parts of coarse table salt and one part of powdered carbonate of mag nesia, and'mix them thoroughly. This composition is sprinkled over, or otherwise appropriately applied to the surface of the material, and said surface then briskly, and thoroughly brushed with an ordinary shoe brush, or other brush of appropriate charactor.

The brushing of the leather, or other surface, with the salt serves to keep the mate rial soft and pliable and prevents cracking, which is one of the disadvantages experienced from the use of liquid cleaners. In the case of canvas, as well as leather, it serves to keep the surface of the material in a naturally rough condition instead of leaving it in a condition having a glazed or painted appearance as when liquid In the case of cleaners are employed.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. January 11, 1&18.

Patented Oct. 30, 1917.

Serial No. 71,541.

Panama hats, as well as the other materials referred to, it leaves a covering of the 'white magnesia powder, which gives the article a fresh and clean appearance and, especially in the case of Panama hats, shields the Panama braid from the action of the sun, preventing the article from turning yellow.

By the use of this cleaner, the dirt is removed from the surface and not, as with liquid cleaners, covered over. At the same operation, the surface of the material is perfectly whitened and, after the operation, is left in appearance and condition corresponding closely to its appearance and condition when new. The shoes can be cleaned on the foot, as the shoes do not have to stand to dry as when liquid preparations are used. It can also be freely .used on shoes composed of different materials, as it does not adhere to colored material or stick to the soles or heels, as in the case of liquid preparations. In the case of shoes partly white and partly colored, it can be freely applied, as it can be readily brushed off those portions of the shoe that are not white. The salt not only serves as a dressing for the material, but opens the pores, which are then filled by the fine magnesia, which thus serves to prevent dust and dirt from sinking into the material, and leaves the surface in a condition easily cleaned by subsequent applications. The salt, while containing sufficient abrasive quality for the purpose, is not of a character that will cut or injure the surface of the leather.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A dry cleaning composition composed of salt and carbonate of magnesia in sub- 'stantially the proportions specified.

2. A dry cleaning composition composed of four parts of coarse table salt and one part of powdered carbonate of magnesia, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at San Francisco, California, this 9th day of November, A. D. nineteen hundred and fifteen.

Witnesses:

LEMA WHITE, K. C. Hermon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

